Eyes Like Headlights
by CardiffRift
Summary: Second chances don't come around all too often. And when they do, some people will try their hardest to prevent history from repeating itself. Guardians aren't much different. Genres subject to change, rated T for future violence and language, R&R.
1. Intro

**A/N: If you watch Doctor Who, you'll know where I recycled some aspect of the plot later on in the story. Not telling you what aspect though, that would probably spoil it.**

**NOTE: The prologue is set sometime between the late 1800's and early 1900's. The story itself is set a few months after the movie.**

**I would recommend listening to Strawberry Swing by Coldplay for the first half of the chapter, and then Breathe Me by Sia for the second half of the chapter. You'll know when to switch :) Although Strawberry Swing does work for the whole chapter if you're a fast reader.**

**I don't own Rise of the Guardians or anything else I reference in this story (cough Doctor Who and Half-Life). They all belong to their rightful owners (Dreamworks, the BBC, and Valve), and I'm a unoriginal bastard.**

**Enjoy reading!**

**© 2013 CardiffRift **

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_" Beyond the laws of density_

_Towers of glass and steel_

_Temples and fragments of memories_

_Drifting away from me. "_

She always thought snowflakes were on invisible puppet strings. The way they tumbled and danced throught the air as they fell, it was distracting and beautiful. A tiny smile peeked through dusty pink lips as she laced up the brown ice skates on her feet. She stood up, and place her foot down on the frozen lake. Solid. She moved the other foot onto the ice. Still solid. "Fantastic." She said to herself, beaming.

Moving slowly at first, the young girl danced swiftly across the ice, nothing but a blur of flying dirty blonde hair. She outstretched her arms as bubbling laughter erupted from her mouth. She spun around and around, like a ballerina, like in the dreams that frequently visited her.

She did figure 8's and jumps, all as the snow clung to her frizzy brown hair, heavily highlighted blonde by the intense heat of the sun she spent her days underneath.

After a while, a wave of dizzyness struck her right in the face. She stumbled across the ice, slipping very ungracefully and landing on her butt. She let out a tiny squeal of pain, followed by a little giggle, realising how clumsy she was.

"Ouch. No more spinning, then." She muttered to herself as she got up.

Frost started forming on the ice out of nowhere in pretty swirling patterns. She looked down, curious. "Huh." She said, gently touching the ice with her skate. "That's strange."

"It's not that strange, I'm just doing my job." She heard a male voice suddenly, slightly scaring her. She looked around, then saw him. He looked about 18, compared to her tiny 10-year-old frame. Silvery-white hair, shining bright like the snow. His piercing crystal blue eyes stared into her seafoam coloured ones.

"Who are you?" She called out. The unusual colour of his hair and eyes made her slightly suspicious, yet curious.

His brow wrinkled in confusion as he stepped closer to her. "Wait, can you see me?" He asked with a tone of disbelief.

"Of course I can see you, silly." She replied light-heartedly. The boy confused her; why would he ask if she could see him? It made no sense.

His lips shifted into a massive grin, as he slid onto the ice, frost designs trailing behind him on the ground. "Well, do you know who I am?" He asked.

The answer stirred in her mind, but it eventually came to her. "Jack... Frost. Is that it? Is that your name?"

"The one and only, bringer of winter and snow." The boy stopped in front of her, and knelt down so he was eye level with her. "What's your name, valiant child?"

She giggled at the nickname he gave her. "It's Alexandria."

"Well, Alexandria, you have a very pretty name, and you're very good at ice skating." He said, lightly tapping her on the nose when he said "you" and smiling.

As if she was demostrating, she spun around on the spot, dark blonde hair swirling around her face and shoulders. "Thank you, Jack." She replied, smiling massively. "Can I go back to skating now?"

"Sure. I'll watch and make sure the ice doesn't crack, alright?" He said, standing up, as Alexandria nodded.

The young girl continued to dance on the ice, as if it was a second nature to her. To Alexandria, it was. Living in one of the mountainous areas of British Columbia definitely had it's perks. The crisp forest air and cool mountain water brought life to her like nothing else. She couldn't imagine her life without countless days in the woods.

Jack had noticed this. Her movement was fluid and quick, and it was interesting to see how good she was at ice skating for a ten year old. She was so fast, he couldn't only see her for a second before she disappeared again. A flash of light brown hair here, her big and bright blue-gray eyes blazing there.

After a while, the young girl started to slow down until she came to a stop in the middle of the frozen lake. She spun around to face the winter spirit, and all Jack could see was her massive smile and those eyes, filled to the brim with hope. A grin settled on his face as well, but it was short-lived.

At that moment, he heard the sickening crack of the ice breaking, and Alexandria's strangled cry for help as she plunged into the deep blue water.

"Alexandria!" His call to her was a split-second too late, and he quickly ran towards the hole which she had fallen through, dropping his staff in the process. His mind was a whirlwind, body running solely on natural instinct. _Stupid... should have double-checked the ice... the only person to believe in me... have to save Alexandria._

The cold water choked Jack, the memory of his death suddenly flooding back. He fought the memories aside, all while desperately looking for Alexandria's small frame. Then, at least a few feet below him, he saw the delicate features of her face hidden among the shadows. Her long dirty blonde hair billowed like ink in the water, and her pale lips were snapped shut. She struggled to swim up to him against the pure cold of the water. Her short arms were outstretched towards him, like inviting the winter spirit for a hug. Her eyes, however, were the thing that told Jack something was terribly, terribly wrong.

Alexandria's eyes blazed a bright amber colour, like the sun. Flecks of gold and orange sprinkled into the irises that seemed to stare straight into the winter spirit. He choked on the water for a second when he saw them, and the raw emotions that hid in them. Fear, terror, and utter despair shone through the golden orbs. They spoke the words that Alexandria couldn't say herself. _You said you wouldn't let me fall. You promised._

Jack grabbed ahold of the young girl by one of her outstretched arms, and swam as fast as he could to the surface, pulling Alexandria through the water with him. The cold didn't affect him that much anymore, but he knew what it did to humans. _Hang on, little valiant child. Don't die on me._

Finally, he burst out of the surface of the water, panting heavily, trying to get air into his lungs. He scrambled up onto the frozen lake, the ice hardening as soon as he touched it, and pulled the young girl out of the water. Her lips had taken on a blue tint, along with her skin. He pushed her soaked hair out of her face, willing her with every ounce of his being for Alexandria to wake up.

"Come on, Alexandria." He pleaded under his breath to the young girl. "Wake up. Please, wake up." His hand went to her right wrist to check her heartbeat, and the temperature of her skin shocked him. She was so cold.

He waited for a minute, trying to feel for a heartbeat, a hopeful glimpse that she was okay. _Please, please, please._

There was nothing. No heartbeat, no breathing, nothing. Alexandria was dead.

And it was his fault.

Very gently, he lifted up her eyelids to see those pretty eyes of hers for one last time. They had faded to a dull glassy amber, but the tiny flecks still sparkled in the fading sunlight. _You promised._

Jack was shaking, very visibly. The memory of the young girl iceskating was still vibrant and fresh in his mind, compared to the lifeless shell that now lay before him. He had managed to cause the death of his first believer, and he let her suffer the same way he did. Transparent tears trailed down his cheeks. He opened his mouth but the words didn't come.

He closed her eyes, and pulled the young girl into a hug, as if she was still alive. Sobs shuddered through his body, as he held Alexandria in his arms. His mind was a kaleidoscope of memories, flashing between that fateful day with him and Emma, Alexandria ice skating, and her bright amber eyes.

"I'm sorry, Alexandria. I'm so so sorry."

_Come out, come out, wherever you are_

_And meet the young lady who fell from the star..._

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**A/N: I'm so evil, aren't I? |D I managed to kill off one of my characters in the prologue. Never fear, dear readers! Alexandria will come back.**

**If you've seen The Wizard of Oz, you'll know where I stole the ending thing from. It fits the story surprisingly well. Our school is doing The Wizard of Oz for our musical this year, sooo yeah B)**

**Reviews, favourites, and follows are much appreciated!**

**Until next time, my dear readers...**

**x**


	2. Bones

**A/N: Hellooooooo everybody!**

**This is the actual first chapter. The one before was a prologue, hence the title 'Intro'. And we're introduced to the three main characters, yay! Well, the main character and her two equally badass best friends.**

**Guys, go watch Orphan Black. It's sooooo gud. May or may not have a total girl crush on Tatiana Maslany. Especially her as Cosima hnnnnnggg.**

**Also, I'm flying down to Adelaide by myself on Thursday, then it's my birthday on Monday! (July 1st)**

**So I'm going to shut up now and let you read.**

**Enjoy!**

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_" Maybe now I'll be made clean_

_While I bathe in your seas,_

_As I seek out all the dreams_

_That I once had._

_Of a life already lived,_

_Of a gift already given,_

_That was taken from me, taken from me far too soon. "_

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_Come out, come out, wherever you are_

_And meet the young lady who fell from the star._

_She fell from the sky, she fell very far..._

"And Kansas, she says is the name of the star." I heard Abigail's off-pitch but still very sweet voice invading my ears. I swatted at the redhead before bringing my hands back to my ears. I knew Abby could sing well, and that she only sings terribly off-key to annoy me.

"She brings you good news, or haven't you heard?" Her voice continued to filter through and my expression becomes even more angrier than before, if that was possible.

"The only good news would be if you shut up." I sang back to her in tune with the song using the same sweet tone her voice is filled with, but with a undertone of my signature sarcasm. Abigail's already wide grin grew even more, but she did shut up. I sighed in relief, moving my hands away from my ears.

"Hey Abigail! Maybe stop provoking Vance so she can get back to fighting headcrabs." I heard the voice and immediately recognized it, because at that moment, the doors to the audiotorium opened and swaggering down the aisle towards the stage was none other than Caleb Prior. I threw my head back, groaning and slowly sliding off the black wooden box I had been sitting on.

"Someone's in a good mood." Abigail's smile shifted to a smirk, as she folded her arms around her chest and I just avoided Caleb's eye contact.

"You're late as well, Prior. We've been waiting for the past hour for your lazy ass to show up. This drama assessment does have a group grade, and you did choose to take this course with us." I added, still not looking at him. I could practically feel his smirk.

"I was busy, Alyx. You and Abby chose to come here straight after school, and you could have practiced yourself." He said, leaning against the edge of the stage and using a tone that would used by a little boy throwing a temper tantrum. That's Caleb Prior in a nutshell. He had a massive ego that could be shattered easily, and he never passed up on an opportunity to flirt with a unsuspecting girl.

Luckily, Abigail swooped in to save my skin yet again. "Hey, Caleb, did your mom say you can come to Mammoth this weekend?" Some of her long auburn hair was held out of her face by a braid, but most of it swished around her shoulders, free from restraints.

My best friend had always undeniably gorgeous. In addition to her shimmery, wavy hair, her eyes were a pale cerulean blue, and her features were delicate and lovely. I wasn't ugly, but I wasn't pretty either. My hair was a light blonde with dark blonde underneath, and still as short and unruly as Caleb's since I cut it all off when I was 15. The only interesting thing was the blood-red streaks through my fringe. My eyes were probably more boring than my hair. They were a muddle of blue, green, and gray. Abby described it as seafoam, and Caleb used the metaphor 'looking into your eyes is like looking at zombie skin'. I then proceeded to punch him.

I snapped back to reality when Caleb grinned and replied, "Yep! What about you, Alyx?" We had planned to go to Mammoth Mountain, one of the best places for skiing and snowboarding in California, by ourselves to kick off winter break. It was Abigail's idea, since she had just gotten her driver's license two weeks ago.

I nodded in response. "Mum said I can go, except she thinks it's just Abby and me."

Caleb raised an eyebrow. "Seriously, she's still trying to get us together?" He jumped up onto the stage, slipping across towards me using his socks.

"Dude, you know my mum. She blames you for my tomboy tendencies."

He flipped his messy dark brown hair out of his eyes and flashed me a massive grin. "Can't resist my charms, eh?"

"Shut it, Caleb."

OoOoO

**Just letting you know, this part is in Abigail's POV, not Alyx's.**

I watched Alyx's silhouette fade into the darkness of her front yard, which was practically a jungle from all the overgrown plants. I exhaled when I saw the light from inside her house appear as she opened the door and disappeared when the door slammed shut behind her. I turned back to Caleb behind me, who had already taken off his glamour. His dark brown hair curled up at the nape of his neck, and those brown eyes of his showed specks of emerald shining through. He looked around 20-ish compared to his 17 year old glamour self. This was mainly evident by the extremely unruly beard. He was dressed in his usual dark green shirt, worn leather jacket, dark jeans, and hiking boots. His signature bow and quiver were slung over his shoulders.

"Alexandria's gone, you can take off your glamour now." He said, like he was talking to a baby. His arms were folded across his chest, and he stared at me like a disappointed parent.

"I'm aware of that, Graham." I replied, rolling my eyes. I lightly brushed over the rune etched into my collarbone, usually hidden under my shirt, and felt the familiar tingle as my skin and body shifted from the disguise into my natural one. I was hardly any different, just slightly taller, andd I wore a red tank top, skinny jeans, and white Converse. Oh, and my hair resembled autumn leaves. After all, I was the spirit of autumn. Just like Graham was the spirit of the forest, commonly known as the Hunter.

"I cannot believe Alyx's mum allowed her to go. This was a bad idea in the first place." Graham said, shaking his head at me. He started to walk away down the street, gesturing for me to follow.

"She's seventeen, Graham, her Sight is going to develop sooner or later. The only thing we can do is hope the winter spirit stays out of the way."

"At Mammoth? Crystal, you're insane. Of course, he's going to be there! He's Jack Frost!"

"And that means he's only been a Guardian for the past year. Alexandria hasn't been their division for five years, they don't have any reason to tell him about her. If you're so worried about Alyx meeting him, ask the Keeper of the Stars. She'd be the only person who'd really know."

The forest spirit stopped dead in his tracks. "Her? No way. That's not for me. She practically hates me."

I rolled my eyes again. "She doesn't hate you."

He folded his arms and pouted. "Besides, I would prefer asking Madeline. She might know."

"Be logical, Graham. Either you ask the Keeper of the Stars, or we go anyways."

"Crystaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaal." He moaned, unfolding his arms.

"I'm sure Manny will be happy to choose someone else if you can be serious about this, and I can tell Alyx you died in a car accident." I replied with a sarcastic smile.

He rubbed his temples, but replied, "Alright, alright. We'll let her go to Mammoth."

I reached out and grabbed his arm, squeezing it gently. "Dude, I'll make sure Alyx doesn't meet Jack, alright? We both will."

He sighed. "I know, Crystal. I'll see you and Alyx tomorrow." With a rush of air, Graham disappeared, leaving a faint pine scent in the air.

I sighed, getting ready to leave as well before I heard a voice cut through the air, "Who's Alyx and why I can't meet her?"

The source of the voice was none other than a white-haired winter spirit who I had really hoped wasn't spying on Graham and I. Turns out he was. I turned to face the smirking teenager, who stood on one of the nearby rooftops, leaning against his staff.

"Sorry Frosty, she's not going to see you. Just your average seventeen year old spending her winter break at one of the biggest ski resorts in California."

"Sounds like she's practically begging to meet me, Cry." I tended to hate his nicknames for me, and I was relieved he actually uses Cry for once, which is what all the other spirits call me.

"I doubt she even knows who you are, Jack. Do Alyx, Graham, and I a favour and stay out of our way at Mammoth, alright?"

The winter spirit didn't speak for a while, which made me hold my breath in anxiety. Please, Jack, stay out of the way. Don't get curious about her, just stay away. Finally, he sighed, and mumbled, "Yeah, alright. I'll stay away."

"Thanks, Jack." I said, and turned to hopefully go find wherever the hell Graham had teleported to this time. However, I hesitated again when Jack spoke again.

"Crystal? You never actually said why I can't meet Alyx. I know she can't see me, but on the off chance that she can, why won't you let me anyways?"

I sighed, and without turning towards him, said, "Because she's not possible." I continued walking before feeling the familiar cool autumn breeze and the ground being sucked out from beneath my feet.

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**A/N: Yay, first chapter done! And yes, Alyx's two best friends are spirits. To clarify, Crystal, who is the spirit of autumn, is Abigail Knight in her disguise, and Graham, who is the spirit of the forest and wild animals, is Caleb Prior (Divergent reference not intended) in his disguise.**

**QUESTION TIMEZZZ. Who thinks that Jack is going to end up stalking Alyx anyways? Why do you think Crystal said Alyx's 'not possible'?**

**As always, reviews are much appreciated!**

**x**


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